She was eager to see Draco, and even more excited to spend Christmas with him in his new place. Dressed in a white laced shirt and poinsettia colored skirt, she stood waiting at the door with a plate of cookies in her hand and a bag on her arm with a delicately wrapped gift.

As she waited she began to daydream about what it looked like inside.

Would it be dark and gothic like his parents’ manor?

Would it be simple and minimalistic?

She was about to find out.

Played By: Lilly

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He couldn't deny he was glad to have his own place. Draco had taken great measures to ensure that his new apartment was decorated to his tastes, with the finest furniture he could find (in a complementary colour scheme focusing on green, of course), clean lines, and a touch of the traditional There was a small part of him that wanted to move back home, but then he remembered he was trying to make a life for himself. Part of that life meant exploring living on his own.

He had decorated minimally for Christmas, with a wreath on the wall and a small tree on a coffee table in the corner. Under the tree was a small collection of perfectly wrapped boxes, his gifts for his friends, and behind some of the more generic packages was the gift he had bought for the guest he was expecting.

Draco finished tidying up, tucking one of his many books away on a bookshelf as he heard the knock. Letting out a breath, he smoothed down his black shirt and walked over to the door.

"Hi," he said, seeing the (beautiful) woman on the other side. Leaning forward, he kissed her on the cheek, politely, before seemingly making his decision and pressing his lips to hers. "Happy Christmas."

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Her face brightened when he finally greeted her at the door. “Happy Christmas, Draco,” Astoria murmured, smiling into the kiss before pulling back to present the plate of cookies.

“I wasn’t sure what kind you liked so I decided to play it safe with sugar cookies,” she said to him, looking down at the peacock shaped sweets decorated in white and gold icing. “Here.” She urged the plate towards him, flashing nude colored bandages wrapped around three of the five fingers on her left hand.

Played By: Lilly

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Draco glanced down at the cookies, a small chuckle passing his lips. "They look wonderful," he said, taking the plate from her. The bandages didn't go unnoticed, but he waited until he had stepped back to let her into the apartment. He took a few extra steps to set the plate of cookies down on a sideboard to his left, taking one cookie and nibbling on it. "They taste amazing, too," he said, setting the cookie down and turning to help her with her coat.

"What did you do to your fingers?" he asked finally as he hung her coat for her.

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She followed his direction and stepped inside, allowing him to take her coat. A faint blush rose to her cheeks at his question. “Oh, nothing. I’m fine,” said Astoria as she set her purse down on a nearby chair. “I’m still trying to learn how to use a muggle oven. “ She tucked a lock of her golden hair behind one ear. “I could have used magic-it would have been easier- but that’s not the point of baking cookies for someone is it?”

Astoria gave Draco a coy smile.

“Cookies should be baked with love...not magic “

Played By: Lilly

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Draco resumed nibbling on the cookie, arching an eyebrow as she spoke. "I see," was his simple reply, before he finished the cookie. "Well, it certainly paid off. These truly are delicious," he said, making sure the door was locked (he still didn't quite trust his neighbour downstairs). Then he turned around, reaching out and taking her hands, pulling her close.

"Magic is good for some things, though," he murmured, reaching to the side and picking up his wand, pointing it at the record player in the corner and wordlessly casting a spell that started it playing an old Christmas album he had found while buying thing for his flat. Then he put down his wand and slid his arm around her waist, leading her in a dance.

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“I would have to agree with you,” said Astoria, feeling light as a feather in his arms. While he certainly didn’t know how to dance well in a club, he was definitely earning his keep with her now by leading her in a dance more befitting to their aristocratic lifestyles. “This is a lovely place you have.”

Played By: Lilly

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"Thank you," Draco replied, glancing around at his place, a smile on his face. "It's taken a while to get it to a point where I'm happy, but I am definitely happy now. And glad to be sharing it with someone, finally." He twirled her gracefully. "Thank you for being here."

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Draco nodded, a small smile on his face. "Alright," he said, turning and slipping into the small kitchen to the side. Thankfully, he had spent some time enhancing the small space with some carefully chosen charms. In one of the drawers was a fully stoked wine cellar, and he pulled out a bottle he had bought specially for the evening.

After pouring two glasses, he returned to the main room, passing one of them to Astoria. "Here you go," he said, picking up the cookies and bringing them over before he sat down beside her. "So... did you get to see your family?" he asked, turning to face her.

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Draco watched her with careful eyes while she stalled, trying to read her. When she finally spoke, he gave a small frown. "I'm sorry to hear that. Christmas should be a time for family," he commented, taking a sip of his wine. "I have to agree with you about Daphne, though. She really was. I suppose a card is nice, though." He glanced over at the mantel where a single card sat. "I'm happy to spend Christmas with you, though."

Astoria handed Draco her wine glass, so she could get up to retrieve the delicately wrapped gift from inside her purse on the other side of the room. “I got you something…” she said quietly, crossing the expanse of the room to hand him his present.

The box was small, expertly wrapped in gold glittered wrapping paper, containing a copy of the key to her flat.